Fire-alarm system.



No. 7 '7 2,64. 'PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904. W. "L. DENIO.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLIGATIONIILED MAY 9. 1904 N0 MODEL.

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Patented October 18, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. DENIO, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOHOBARTF. ATKINSON, OF ROOHESTER,-NEW YORK.

FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 72,644, dated.October 18, 1904. Application filed May 9, 1904. Serial No. 207,141. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known thatLIVILLIAM L. DENIO, a resident of Rochester, in thecounty of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fire-Alarm- Systems; and I dohereby declare thefollow-- means for informing the central or fire-alarm station whetheran alarm-box was started by some accident or by the alarm-box being operated in the prescribed manner.

Other subsidiary objects will appear from the following descriptionandclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, F lgure 1 1s a diagrammatic view of afirm-alarm system emboclymg the lnventlonjandF g. 21s a side View of themanual push-rod. Fig. 3 1s a sec tion on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4shows a modified detail, and Fig. 5 isa diagrammatic- View showing amodification.

The system illustrated has a central firealarm station A, from whichextend any desired number of metallic circuits 1 2, but one being shown,in which at said station is a battery 3 and a magnet 4, called thealarm-relay-magnet. The-armature5 is normally attracted, being held awayfrom the alarm-circuit contact 6, which is connected through magnet 7 alocal battery 6 to the alarmbell '8, from which wire 9 leads to thelower contact of the telephone-switch, then by wire 10 to said armature5. The armaturelO of magnet 7 called the .,telephone relay-magnet, whenattracted releases arm 10 which drops onto contact 11, whichis-connectedto the line-circuit, arm 10 being connected to Contactll is thusnormally disconnected from the ground. of said induction-coil and towhich isconnected the telephone-receiver 16.

The system also has connected to circuit 12 one or more fire-alarm"boxes B, placed at or near the building or' district to be protected.VVire 2 connects with box-terminal 18 then to spring 19, toothed wheel20, adapted to send the box-number, to wheel 21, Which has aninsulating-segment or other circuit-changing device, adapted to givewarning of a coming alarm before the sending of the box-number bymomentarily changing the circuit be fore the circuit-wheel operates.From wheel 21 'theconnection is by spring 22, wire 23, including aresistance 24, to terminal 25 of the box, to wire l, back to battery.Resistance 24 is made about equal to that-of the wiring extendingthrough the building. One of the objects of this resistance'is to divertcurrent to cause magnet 32 to be properly energized on closure of itscircuit.

In the alarm-box is a-manual push-rod 34, consisting of aconducting-body 35, with an insulating sleeve or section 36, againstwhich springs 37 38 normally bear. Preferably the push-rod isinclosed'in a glass cover, as com- 15 indicates the secondary coil monin fire-alarms, the cover to be broken to get at the push-rod. Spring 37is connected to box-terminal 25, and push-rod 34 is connected to thetelephone-transmitter 40, to the primary coil of induction-coil 41,thence to the ground connection. The secondary of said induction-coilincludes a receiving-telephone 42.

The connection from spring 37 branches to line 1- and also throughresistance 24 to spring 22, through the wheels to spring 19, resistance24 thus being in the normal main circuit. A third branch, 44, connectswith the thermostat loop 45. Loop 46 is connected to magnet 32, armature48, escapement 49, to wheels 20 21 in the main circuit. 'A- branch 50extends to spring 38, normally disconnected electrically from spring 37by sleeve 36.

part 35 of the push-rod when advanced elec- Conducting receive ananswer-back signal from central, automatically returned by the sound ofalarmbell 8, operating on the telephone-transmitter 13 in the groundconnection at said central.

At one or more suitable points between wires 45 46 is or are connectedauxiliary boxes G, adapted when operated to start box B by connectingcontacts 40 40 by arm 40", which may be done by breaking glass tube 58,Fig. 1, and pushing up rod 58, which movement carries up arm 40 toconnect said contacts, or the arm may be similarly moved by operation ofone or more thermostatic devices 57. Operation of either the manualpush-rod or the thermostatic devices trips the eccentric 57, having anysuitable driving means, which mechanically operates a bell 40 in obviousmanner. This bell operates on the auxiliary box-telephone transmitter,whereby the department or central operator can hear the auxiliary box athis receiver, and thus be informed that the signal is one to beresponded to. The bell also serves as an alarm tending to prevent thesending of false alarms. Arm 40 when moved also closes a branch toground through a primary coil and a telephone-transmitter 40, thesecondary coil containing a receiver in its circuit. At some of the lessimportant points to be pro tected instead of the described auxiliary boxI may use a combined manual push-rod and thermostatic device, asindicated in Fig. 4, where 58 is a manual push-rod generally protectedby a glass cover and controlling a ground branch, being normallyseparated from contacts 37 38, but when operated connecting them andclosing said ground branch through telephone-transmitter40. Thethermostatic part of this device 38 consists of two cup-like reversebodies with an intermediate spring held under tension by fusible solderconnecting the cups, this of itself being old. Such device I locate sothat when released it acts on contacts 37 38 to connect them and toclose the ground branch in the same Way as push-rod 58. hen therelaymagnet 7', Fig. 5, which corresponds to magnet 7 of Fig. 1 attractsits armature and closes the ground-telephone branch, the armature may beheld against its contact by arm 60, which is arranged to fall when thearmature moves forward.

From the above description it will be seen that normally the maincircuit is closed as follows: from battery 3 to magnet 4, wire 2,box-terminal18, spring 19, the circuit-wheels, spring 22, resistance 24,and thence to wire 1 to battery. In this circuit,notwithstanding theinclusion of said resistance, is suflicient current to energize magnet 4to hold its armature from back contact 6, holding alarmcircuit 9 open.

Suppose there comes an accidental break in circuit 1 2, circuit 9 willbe closed by armature 5 and the bell will ring until its circuit isopened by the attendant. The closing of the local alarm-circuit 9 causesmagnet 7 to attract its armature, closing the ground connection of thetelephone-transmitter 13 and the primary coil 12 at central, and thiswill remain closed until arm 10 is moved back to its normal position. If\vhile said ground branch is closed the operator on listening atreceiver 16 does not hear the noise of the signal-box acting on thetransmitter in the box, he knows at once that the alarm was not sent bythe proper operation of the box.

The signal-box transmitter should be so located that the noise of thebox when operating and when the ground branch is closed will affect thetransmitter, and thus the central receiver.

If the the signal-box is started by push-rod 35, so as to therebyconnect springs 37 38, a branch circuit will be closed at the boxextending from line-wire 1 to parts 37 38, to magnet 32, to thearmature, to the numbervvheels, spring 19, to wire 2, which releases thebox, and by listening at receiver 42 the one sending the alarm can hearit as it is delivered at central without anything being done by theoperator there. On the other hand, if listening at receiver 16 thecentral operator hears the noise of the box, as well as bell 8, he knowsthat the box was started by pushrod 35, as otherwise there would be nocomplete telephone-circuit.

In case the fire-alarm box B was started by operation of an auxiliarybox 0 the central operator at his telephone-receiver would hear theauxiliary-box bell acting on the :uljacent telephone transmitter, andeach auxiliary box, if more than one such box is employed, being given abell 4O of distinctive sound would locate the floor or part of thebuilding from which the alarm was sent.

The enabling of the auxiliary-box operator, as well as the one operatingthe box directly, to get a telephone-answer back is important, as alsois enabling the central to hear either the signal-box or the auxiliary,according to which sends the alarm.

Box B may have a thermostatic releasing device, as well as a manual one,if desired, and other modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention.

What I claim is 1. In a fire-alarm system, a main circuit connecting acentral station and an alarm-box, an audible boxnumberreceiving device,a ground branch from the main circuit at said central station containinga telephone, a second ground branch located at the alarm signalbox, atelephone therein. box-number-sendin g mechanism, a circuit-controllerand magnet for releasing said sending mechanism, the circuit-controlleralso closing said ground branch at the box, whereby operation of saidcontroller starts the signal-box and also renders the telephone-circuitoperative.

2. In a fire-alarm system, a main circuit con' necting a central stationand an alarm-box, an audible box-number-receiving device, a groundbranch from the main circuit at the central station containing atelephone apparatus including an induction-coil, a transmit- 4 ter andreceiver, a second ground branch at the alarm signal-box, a telephoneapparatus therein including induction-coil, transmitter and receiver,box number sending mechan ism, a circuit, magnet and controller forreleasing said sendingmechanism, the controller also closing said groundbranch at the box.

-3. In a fire-alarm system,'a main circuit connecting a central stationand an alarm-box, an audible box-number-receiving device, a

' ground branch from the main circuit at said central station containinga telephone, a-local circuit including said audible alarm, a magnet inthe main circuit controlling said local circuit, and a magnet in thelocal circuit controlling the telephone branch.

4:. In a fire-alarm system, a main circuitconnecting a central stationand an alarm-box,"an

audible box-number-receiving device, a normally open ground branch fromthe main circuit at said central statlon, a telephone in said groundbranch, a local circuit controlled by number-sending means, andtelephonesat the signal-box and at the auxiliary box;

6. In a fire-alarm system, a central-station receiving device, a maincircuit, a telephone, a ground branch therefor, an alarm-box in the maincircuit, and having number-sending parts through which the circuit isnormally closed, a resistance therein, anormally operi' house-circuit,connected to the main circuit but.normally Without current, an auxiliarybox, and telephonesat the alarm-box and at the auxiliary box;

7. In a fire-alarm system, a main circuit, the alarm-box, the normallyopen ground telephone-circuit and means which when opera- -ted releasethe-alarmbox and close said ground telephone-circuit.

8. In a fire-alarm system, the main circuit, central receiving means, analarm-box, a releasing-magnet therefor, an auxiliary box connected tothe alarm-box so as when operated to close the circuit through saidreleasingmagnet, and telephones in ground branches at a central stationand at said boxes.

' 9. In a fire-alarm system, box-number-sending means, receiving meanstherefor, aboxtelephone in operative situation when an alarm is sent,and telephone-answer-back devices comprising an audible signal and anadceipt of an alarm to close the telephone-circuit. k

10. In a fire-alarm system, an alarm-box jacent telephone, and meansoperated by reincluding box-number-sending means, a tele phone in anormally inoperative branch, at said box, a fire-alarm house-circuitconnected to said box, an auxiliary box connected to the house-circuit,means for operating the auxiliary box to close the house-circuit, 'atelephone at the auxiliary box'normally inoperative but made operativeby said means for operating the auxiliarybox.

- 11. In a fire-alarm system, an alarm-box, an auxiliary box connectedto the alarm-box, a telephone at the auxiliary box, a main circuit fromthe alarm-box to a central fire-alarm sta tion, and a telephone at saidstation adapted iliary box when the latter has been operated, Intestimony whereof I have signed this specification in thepresence of twosubscribing Witnesses. I

' WILLIAM L. DENIO,

Witnesses: I l

H. E. BALL, A. S. CAMPBELL.

to cooperate with the telephone at said aux-

